Paperwork: (We handle all paperwork on behalf of our clients)

To register a car in your own name you'll need the following:

Passport: copies of the photograph page and current visa page of your passport, a car can registered with any visa, tourist, non-immigrant "O" "B" or retirement visa. (all copies must be signed)

Work Permit: Copies of every page of your work permit (all copies must be signed). For those without a work permit read below.

Embassy Letter: For people without a work permit you'll need to visit your embassy and get a notary document confirming your name and address in Thailand. Typically these documents cost around 1,500 Baht and are easy to obtain, just explain to your embassy that you are purchasing a car and need the notary document for registration purposes. The immigration department can also issue a similar document.

To register a car in your Thai Husband's/Wife's name: We will need copies of his/her ID card and a copy of his/her house registration document "Tabian Baan". We will provide the all the other relevant documents to sign.

To Register a car in a company name:  We will need a copy of the company registration papers, copies of the identification card, and house registration papers of the owner/owners of the company if the owner/s is Thai, or copies of the work permit/s and passport/s if the owner/s of the company is foreign.

 Also bare in mind that all transfer and registration costs are double if a car is registered in a company name, and also the annual tax is doubled.
Title Document (Lem Tabian):

Every used car comes with a blue registration book (left) this book contains information on the amount of owners a vehicle has had, and also shows if all taxes have been paid on the vehicle. Click here for an inside view.

If a car is under any form of financing then the finance company will keep the "blue book" until all monies have been paid, if a seller of a car can't produce the blue book, buyer beware. All the cars we sell are free of financing, unless we tell you otherwise.

If you finance a car the finance company will in turn hold the title document until you have paid back in full all monies borrowed to purchase the car, it is then usually the finace companies responsibility to transfer the title of the car into your name.

Windscreen Stickers (Tax and Government Insurance):

All cars must display two stickers on the windscreen, the first is the annual compulsory government insurance sticker (top), this is the minimum requirement insurance and covers basic medical expenses for injured parties, the government insurance sticker is approximately 900 Baht per year.

The other sticker is your annual tax sticker (bottom). The price of your annual tax is based on engine size, but is usually no more than 2,000 Baht for an average 1.6L-2.2L car, 3.0L-4.0L engines can be higher at around 5-6,000 Baht per year. All cars we sell come with valid tax and government insurance stickers usually for at least 6 months. We also offer a renewal service when the time arises.

The local police will be looking out for these stickers at expressway toll booths and stops on the highways of Thailand so keep them up to date to avoid possible fines.
Comprehensive Insurance:

Expat Motors work with several insurance companies to provide comprehensive coverage for all our clients. we work with either Liberty Insurance, Kunia Insurance or Viriyah Insurance. Policy costs are usually calculated on the value of your car, and is usually around 4-5% of the approximate value of your car. The insurance we provide is fixed with the car so any driver can drive the vehicle with a valid driver's license and the owners permission, and make a claim if an accident occurs. Expat Motors provides full insurance with all the cars we sell as well as renewla services once the time arises. Contact us with any questions.

To make an insurance claim in Thailand, and drive legally you must possess either a valid Thai or international license. A driver's license is the only item Expat Motors can't assist you with except giving advise on how to obtain a Thai license which is a simple process.

Cars with red plates:

Brand new vehicles come with red registration plates issued either by us or the main dealer where the car came from. A red plate is temporary until the car has been registered into your name. This process can take from 2 weeks to 3 months (or more), depending on the source of the car. Once the car has been registered you will receive white permanent plates, your annual tax sticker, and the blue title document in your name. Expat Motors supply new cars and handle all registration procedures into your name. There is no restriction driving a car in Thailand with red registration plates, but a few spare hundred Baht notes come in handy every now and then to keep the local boys in brown happy!!!